Road Trip
by Lufflebunny
Summary: What would happen if Sodapop and Steve managed to Persuade Darry, Ponyboy and TwoBit to go on a Road Trip in the summer vacation? Chapter 8 up! :D
1. Road Trip!

_**ROAD TRIP!**_

**Chapter One – Sodapop.**

In my defence, if it hadn't been for Steve (and an extraordinarily boring day at the DX Station), I never would've made that joke. And if Steve hadn't been the way he is, he never would've took it literally. And if he hadn't took it literally, then none of this would've happened. So I guess that it's a good thing that Steve took it literally.

See, about two weeks ago, Steve and me were playing poker in the DX Station. We hadn't had any customers in an hour, and last time we'd bailed, we'd nearly got fired. And it was pouring down anyway, so even if we had wanted to bail, we wouldn't have been able to without practically frowning anyway. Plus it was thunder and lightening and Steve gets kind of freaked out by thunder and lightening.

"You know what we should do in the summer vacation?" I asked as Steve dealt again (I won).

"No," Steve said, glancing up at me and grinning. "But knowing you, something insane that's going to get us all killed."

"No," I said, pretending to be offended. "Two words, my weird little buddy – Road Trip."

Steve laughed. "Okay, now _that _would be cool. But we'd never be able to afford it."

"We'd manage," I grinned. "We'll find a free boarding house – no, we'll camp, we've still got those tents – me, you an' Two-Bit can steal some motorcycles from some store, Darry an' Ponyboy can ride in the truck an' we'll go to Florida, confront Sandy, see Mickey Mouse for Two-Bit,go to New York, see if there's anyone Dally was in touch with,go to Canada for the heck of it, and come home! Simple!"

"Oh, yeah," Steve agreed sarcastically, "real simple."

I laughed and looked at my cards. Not a bad hand, considering.

"That ain't a bad idea, though," Steve said suddenly.

"What ain't?" I looked at him over the top of my cards.

"That road trip idea of yours," Steve replied, grinning sheepishly. "I know you were jokin' an' all, but it's a pretty good idea."

"Oh, c'mon, Steve," I grinned. "All my ideas are good."

"I'm so lucky to have such a modest friend."

"Ain't you?"

Steve laughed and looked out of the window. "We might end up camping out here, Sodapop. It looks like it's getting worse."

I started dealing again. "Hey, I ain't stayin' here any longer than I need to. You dig?"

Steve grinned. "Yeah, I dig," he muttered as the phone started ringing. He looked at me. "You gonna get that?"

I rolled my eyes and jumped off the counter. "Hi, DX Station, how may I help you?" That's probably the worst thing about working here. You have to say "how may I help you" about seven times an hour. Well, over the phone.

"Sodapop, where the hell are you?" It was Darry.

"Hi, Darry," I said lazily. "I'm fine thanks. You?"

"Don't you dare do that, Sodapop," Darry growled. "You've got Ponyboy in a right state."

"Obviously you don't care about me," I said in mock upset. Steve laughed.

"Oh, shut up," Darry muttered. I could picture him at home, grinning. "Where are you?"

"Where are you?"

"Soda…"

"Darry…"

"Okay, you're funny. But seriously. Are you still at the DX?"

"Yeah, but I'll be home as soon as the storm's over, okay?"

"Sure."

"Hey, Darry," I said quickly, stopping him from hanging up. "How much leave do you get in the summer vacation this year?"

"About two weeks, sometimes three," Darry replied. "Why?"

"Because me an' Stevie were talking," I explained, ignoring Steve's yell of "_Don't _call me Stevie!" "We're thinking we should go on a Road Trip. Us five."

"Oh, no," Darry said suddenly, with panic in his voice. "No. No. Soda, I can't. I'm sorry, but I can't. I'm sorry, okay? Bye."

"Well?" Steve said eagerly, hopping off the counter and wandering over to where I stood, staring at the receiver. "What'd he say?"

"He said he couldn't go," I said, putting the receiver back in the holder. "He sounded… I don't know. Scared."

Steve frowned. "When did Darry first have sex?"

I stared at him. "_What?_"

"If he went on a Road Trip and got… I mean, had sex, then he might be scared to go on another one in case he meets someone," Steve explained. "I mean, he hasn't had a girlfriend since before…" he swallowed. "Since before your parents died, has he?"

I grinned and shoved him. "Get out," I laughed. "And about my parents dying? Yeah, don't act all tense about it. I think I'll be able to talk soon."

"Really?" I guess it worried Steve that I hadn't been able to talk about my parents ever since they died. I mean, I know he knew it was hard for Darry, Ponyboy and me, but he liked to talk about things that upset him. Get it off his chest at once. And I'm usually the same. But I just couldn't talk about my parents.

"Then why can't Darry come?" Steve demanded, shoving me back. "I think it's something to do with sex."

I rolled my eyes. But Steve had a point. Why didn't Darry want to come?

**Chapter 2 – Darry! **

Okay, so maybe I shouldn't have freaked out like that. But the last time I went on a Road Trip, something really bad happened. And I mean bad. See, when I was eighteen, Mom and Dad let me go on a Road Trip with some of my friends from school. We just went to California so we could "just chill and pick up some babes" – that's how Danny and Paul put it, anyway. But it'd have to be me, wouldn't it? See, I was just hanging by the pool and I got talking to this girl called Tarren, and we really hit it off. And… well, one thing led to another. But before I went back to Tulsa, everything was fine. I promised to keep in touch with Tarren and all, but two months later, I got a letter from Tarren saying that she was pregnant with _my_ kid and she didn't know what to do. I don't actually know what happened to her – I mean, we kept in touch for another year or so, but then she moved and she forgot to tell me her address and then Mom and Dad died, so…

But still. If I did go on that trip, I might end up seeing Tarren again, and she might have the kid with her. And what would happen if Sodapop and Ponyboy found out? They'd probably kill me. Especially Soda. When he'd told me that Sandy was pregnant, I hadn't even given him a chance to say that he wasn't the father.

"Hey, Darry," Ponyboy muttered, walking out of his room and into the kitchen. "You OK?"

"Grephler," I muttered. _What_?

Ponyboy stared at me. "_What_?"

"Yeah," I said quickly, trying to smile.

"Are you sure you're OK?" Ponyboy asked suspiciously, wandering over to me. "You don't look so good."

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to sound happy as I collapsed onto the sofa.

"Well, you look all pale. And clammy. And you've got this -"

"Hey," Sodapop called, slamming the door. "I'm back!"

"What took you so long?" I demanded, jumping to my feet.

"Darry, I told you over the phone. There was a storm and Steve freaked out."

"So you just _left _him?"

"Uh, _no_. The storm's over, Dar." He stared at me. "What's up with you, anyway?"

"Thank-you!"

"Shut up, Ponyboy."  
"You look pale," Sodapop told me. "And clammy. And you've got this really scary smile on your face. It makes you look... I don't know... disfigured or something, man. Have we got any chocolate milk?"  
I sighed and collapsed back down onto the sofa as Two-Bit came in.  
"Hey, Two-Bit," Soda called from the kitchen.  
"Hey," Two-Bit replied cheerfully, wandering into the kitchen.  
"Guys," I called, standing up. "I'm going to bed... keep it down, OK?"  
They wouldn't. They try, but they never can. I sighed. I couldn't believe that this was happening.


	2. Winning Darry

**Two-Bit's POV.**

"So, let me get this straight," I said, leaning forward in my chair. Me, Darry and Ponyboy were all sat in the Curtis' living room, with Soda and Steve stood in front of us. "You want us all to all go on a Road Trip, with you two and myself riding stolen motorcycles, and Darry and Ponyboy riding in the Pickup?"

Soda nodded. "Well… yeah. But we're going to New York, California – _and _Orlando. Think of it, Two-Bit. You could go see the _real _Mickey Mouse!"

"Count me in," I said cheerfully.

Steve grinned at me as Soda looked pleadingly at Darry. They'd told me about Darry's little outburst two weeks earlier, but I thought he'd stopped being so stupid. Road Trips are fun.

"Fine," Darry said suddenly, holding up his hands. "Fine. You win. We'll go on the Road Trip. Happy?"

"Ecstatic," Soda grinned as Steve let out a happy whoop and high-fived him.

"When do we leave?" Ponyboy asked excitedly, bouncing up and down on the sofa.

"Um," Soda said, grinning sheepishly at Darry. "In about two hours, actually."

Darry stared at him. "You mean you _knew_ that I was going to say yes?"

Steve grinned. "Actually, we were gonna try to persuade you."

"But if that didn't work," Soda added, "we were gonna knock you unconscious, dump you in the back of the Pickup and take you anyways."

Darry laughed. "Why am I not surprised?"

Soda grinned and bounded off to pack. We could hear him singing some weird Soda song in his bedroom as he slammed doors.

Darry stood up. "I better go and repack for Soda. Knowing him, he'll just be throwing everything in."

Steve grinned at me. "C'mon, Two-Bit. We gotta pack, too."

**Ponyboy's POV. **

At first, I was really excited. I couldn't believe that Darry had given in to Soda and Steve so quickly. Usually, it would've taken them half an hour at least to persuade him, but he'd given in after barely five minutes. And I guess I started wondering instead of packing, because before I knew it, Darry was poking his head into my room.

"Hey, Ponyboy, haven't you packed yet?" He asked, looking at me empty bag on the bed. "We leave in ten minutes, you know."

I blinked up at him. He looked really concerned. If what he said next was anything to go by, he was still really worried about me. "Listen, Pony, if you don't feel up to coming, I'll stay here with you."

"No," I said quickly. "I'm fine, Darry, I just got thinking, that's all."

"He grinned and ruffled my hair. "Well, if you're sure. C'mon, I'll help you pack. What did you want to take with you, anyway?"


	3. And They're Off!

**iSteve's POV.**

Even now, I don't know how Soda and me – well, more Soda than me, but whatever – convinced Darry to come on the Road Trip with us. Personally, I think he thought we'd get jailed or something if he didn't come. Which we probably would.

"So, we're going to Florida first," Soda told us happily as we sat in the car with Soda's _huge_ map spread across Soda's, Darry's and my laps. "Then we'll head to New York or wherever, and then we'll head to California before coming back."

"I'm good with that," Two-Bit yelled excitedly from the back.

Darry rolled his eyes as he started the engine. "So, what about the bikes you three are going to steal?"

"You're actually going to let us do that?" I asked, surprised. Darry's only been arrested five times and that was before his parents died, so I didn't think he'd let us steal three motorcycles.

"I'm not going to spend something like eight hours in a car with you three," Darry grinned.

Soda laughed. "We were thinking of any auto shop with bikes in it."

"Oh," Darry said half sarcastically. "And I suppose-"

"Are we going to move at all?" Soda screamed suddenly. "We've been sat on this bloody drive for hours!"

"Soda, we've been sat here for ten minutes."

"Too long!"

Darry rolled his eyes again and drove off the drive as Soda started bouncing up and down in his seat, clapping his hands and chanting "Florida, Florida, Florida…" He gets really weird when he's hyper.

**Darry's POV.**

I don't actually know why I let Soda and Steve talk me into going on that stupid trip. Maybe I wanted to find out with Tarren – if I could find her, I mean. Or maybe I just wanted to make sure they didn't get into some serious trouble. But one minute, Soda and Steve were begging me to come on a stupid Road Trip with them, and an hour later, I was driving to Florida.

"Darry, pull over," Soda said suddenly, looking out of the window.

I followed his gaze. "Oh, no, Soda," I groaned when I saw the car shop, "no. Not here, OK?"

"Why not?" Steve demanded. "Have you seen those bikes? They're hot stuff, man."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah. They're hot stuff alright. But – Soda, what the hell are you doing?" I yelped, as Soda knocked my hands off the steering wheel and turned the car into the parking bay, yelling, "Wheee!"

Steve looked at him as I slammed the breaks on and Soda turned the engine off. "You know, when you get like this, you're really scary."

Soda grinned at him as he leaned across Steve to open the door. "Join me, won't you?"

**Two-Bit's POV.**

Steve rolled his eyes as Soda dragged himself across his lap and practically threw himself out of the car. "C'mon, Two-Bit," Steve muttered, climbing out of the car after Soda.

"You know, you two'll probably want to get out of here," Soda told Darry happily. "Drive on for about two blocks and we'll catch you up."

I grinned. I knew Soda was going to get a big a kick out of this as I would.

"This'll be one thing you can't take without anyone noticing, Two-Bit," Steve teased, giving me a gentle punch on the shoulder.

"I can try," I grinned, returning the punch.

"Steve, Two-Bit, look," Soda said before we went into the shop. "I'll distract them so Two-Bit can steal the cars to those three bikes over there by the window and… Steve, you can do whatever needs doing so we can make a clean brake out of here."

"Won't we need leathers?" Two-Bit asked.

Soda grinned and shook his head. "Nah. Just keep your head down as you go through the glass."

"Whoa!" I grabbed his arm as he started walking into the shop. "We're going _through_ the glass?"

Soda cocked an eyebrow. "Well, how else were you planning to get out, Einstein?"

I shrugged. "I dunno…"

Two-Bit rolled his eyes. "C'mon. I'm getting bored."

**Soda's POV.**

"So, what does this do?"

"That would turn the lights on, sir."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, but is it really for just turning the lights on? Or is it a secret entrance to a laboratory or something?" I started flicking the lights on and off. I saw Steve look over at me and grin as Two-Bit handed him the keys.

"Sir, I assure you," the store manager said, grabbing my arm, "they turn the lights on and off."

"OK," I said happily as Steve gave me the signal that the bikes were ready (five scratches behind his right ear – another brilliant idea of mine). "Bye then."

"So, we're really going to bust through the glass?" Steve asked me as I strolled over to him and Two-Bit.

"Yeah," I muttered, glancing over my shoulder. "I'll go first, OK?"

"Sure," Two-Bit grinned, shoving me towards one of the bikes.

I rolled my eyes and looked towards Steve. "Keys, please."

Next thing I knew, I was driving a motorcycle through a sheer plate of glass with a desperate store manager chasing after me.


	4. Florida, Here We Come! Part One

**Ponyboy's POV.**

If I ever thought Sodapop was sane, I was wrong. So very, very wrong.

"Do you think they'll really steal bikes?" I asked Darry as we pulled up outside a fast-food restaurant.

"I don't know," Darry muttered, looking out of his window. "I wouldn't put it past Soda or Two-Bit, but I'm hoping that Steve'll be able to talk some sense into them."

We sat there in silence. I don't know why, but I can't talk to Darry the way I can talk to Soda. It's weird. I mean, I really want to, but I don't know where to start.

"What the hell's that?" Darry muttered suddenly, looking in his wing mirror.

A second later, Soda, Two-Bit and Steve zoomed past our car, all screaming, "Drive!"

"Shit," Darry muttered, pulling out onto the road and speeding after the others. Usually, it's Sodapop who drives fastest, but Darry definitely outdid him then. He must have been going ten times faster than the speed limit.

"Darry," I squeaked nervously. "Can you slow down a little please?"

"I'd love to, Ponyboy," Darry said dryly, "but have you looked in the rear-view mirror?"

"No."

"Don't."

**Steve's POV.**

I guess it must've seemed a little bit crazy, stealing those bikes and getting by the cops clear to Madison from Cleveland, but… it was fun. And none of us has really had any fun since Johnny and Dally died.

Two-Bit looked over his shoulder. "Hey, I think we can lose them in a bit," he shouted over the roar of the engines and the siren. "If we get to Madison, I know how to lose them good."

I rolled my eyes. "So now we're going on what _you_ know. Great."

"Hey," Two-Bit yelled, sounding hurt. "My cousin lives in Madison! I used to have to lose the fuzz a lot round there!"

"Whatever."

We got to Madison a lot quicker than I thought we would, even going at the speed we were. I could hear Soda and Two-Bit whooping next to me and grinned – they really are crazy. Two-Bit made us drive around Madison a couple of hundred times before we eventually drove off to Orlando. And you know what? It worked. The cops ran out of gas and couldn't keep up with us on foot, so they gave up.

"See?" Two-Bit said triumphantly to me, as we pulled into a diner for something to eat – none of us had had anything since seven that morning, and it was almost nine at night. "I know how to lose cops."

I rolled my eyes. Soda grinned and put one arm round my shoulders and the other round Two-Bit's. "Y'all should've bet on it."

I shoved him off me. "Yeah, right."

Darry rolled his eyes as he held the door to the Diner open for us. "You know, just when I think you've all finally became sane, you prove me wrong by doing something like this."

Soda punched him affectionately in the ribs. "What else are we here for?"

"Hey, Soda," Two-Bit grinned as we reached the counter. "Broads checking you out at eight o' clock."

Soda looked around to his left and behind him. "They're pretty fit themselves," he muttered out of the corner of his mouth as he flashed the girls his grin. "Might ask one of them out."

I flicked him in the back of the head. "Are you crazy? In case you haven't noticed, we're on the run from the cops for stealing bikes, and some girls find that a turn-off."

"Yeah," Soda argued, "but some of them find it a turn-_on_. And you're just jealous 'cause you're still goin' out with Evie."

Darry rolled his eyes again. He tends to do that a lot when Soda and I are around. "Guys, what do you want to eat?"

Soda didn't even look at the menu. "Root beer, fries, and a double cheeseburger."

Darry rolled his eyes. (Told you he does that a lot.) "What about you, Ponyboy?"

"Same, please," Pony squeaked. I try not to let onto Soda about this, but that kid really bugs me sometimes. I don't know why; I think it's because he hangs out with Soda and me so much, even though I know Soda asks him, not the other way round. And he's stopped bugging me so much since he got home from Windrixville.

"We'll go find a booth," Soda told Darry as Two-Bit and I ordered the same as Soda and Ponyboy. "C'mon, guys."

"So," Two-Bit muttered to Soda as we found a booth near where the broads were sitting. "Are you really going to ask one of them out?"

Don't know about just _one_… they're all pretty damn fine."

Darry came over with our food just then. "The sooner we get to Florida, the better. We're going to have to change your number plates…

Otherwise we'll all be arse-first in prison, instead of Florida, because the cops'll have gotten them down, trust me, Soda -" Soda was looking slightly disbelieving "- they do that. OK? Have y'all got that?"

We all nodded.

"Since when was Darry such an expert on cops?" I asked Soda.

Soda grinned as Darry went back to the counter to pay. "When he went on that Road Trip with Holden three years back, they got into some trouble with the fuzz. Dad had to pick them all up from the station."

"Dad went mad at him," Ponyboy added. "I've never seen him so mad. Except for that time when you two stole those cars."

"Soda," Two-Bit hissed suddenly, trying to kick Soda under the table but hitting me instead. "Oops – sorry, Steve, man – Soda, those girls are coming over!"

Soda cocked an eyebrow at him. "Who cares?"

Two-Bit rolled his eyes. "I do! I want a bird, man!"

"Well, there's chicken burgers on the menu…"

"Shut up, Soda. You know what I mean."

Soda grinned. "Oh, yeah. I know. Hey," he yelled to the girls suddenly. "My buddy here wants your number… anyone want to give him a go? No extra charge for bedtime activities, you know what I'm saying?" I swear it, Sodapop Curtis ain't human.

**Ponyboy's POV.**

Darry had us all up early the next morning. We'd found a little Bed and Breakfast nearby that didn't charge much. I had to share a room with Darry and Soda, Steve and Two-Bit shared a room, which I thought was stupid because they're all hyperactive weird people.

"The sooner we get them all calmed down," Darry muttered to me, hammering on their door, "the better. Did you know that they were up until quarter to four having a pillow fight?"

I shook my head. "Nope."

"Some guys have all the luck," Darry grinned before hollering, "FOR GOD'S SAKE, GUYS, WAKE UP!"

Soda yanked the door open. He didn't look like he usually did on a morning. His hair was sticking up and his face was flushed slightly pink. And his eyes were brighter than I'd ever seen them. And he had a bed sheet wrapped around his waist.

Darry stared at him for a minute before he groaned. "Oh, no. Please tell me you didn't."

Sodapop grinned. "Don't worry about it, Dar. Steve and Two-Bit weren't here."

Darry rolled his eyes. "Get dressed, get her dressed, and meet us in the breakfast room. Are Steve and Two-Bit in there?"

Sodapop shook his head. "No. They woke up really early and went to sort out the number plates. They'll probably be in the breakfast room or something."

"Hurry up, OK?" Darry said to him. "If we want to get to Florida, we'll have to leave soon."

Just then a girl came up behind Soda, with the duvet wrapped around her. "Oh, are these your brothers, Soda?"

OK, I know this might sound stupid, but up until then, I hadn't realised what Darry and Sodapop were going on about. But when I did…

"Glory, Ponyboy," Soda laughed, " I never knew anyone could go so red!"


	5. Florida, Here We Come! Part Two

**Two-Bit's POV.**

You can't imagine how funny it was at breakfast that day. Nobody was talking. Ponyboy looked kind of confused, Darry looked embarrassed, Soda looked… well, he looked weird. Like he was going to say something, but didn't know how to start. And Steve and me were trying not to laugh.

"We better get going," Darry said at last, taking a gulp of black coffee. "We're booked in at the hotel for one."

Soda glanced at his watch. "But it ain't even eight o' clock yet."

Darry rolled his eyes. "Yeah, but it'll take a while to get there."

Steve grinned at me. It'd been pretty funny last night. Scarring for life, but funny. I mean, if you walked in and found one of your best friends in bed, butt naked, with some girl, you ain't just going to be all, "Oh, look, he's just got laid. Oh, well." You're going to react. And Steve and me… well, we cracked up. But whether that was because we were stoned, I couldn't tell you.

"Do you guys know who that chick Soda was with last was?" Ponyboy asked us.

"Yeah," Steve replied lazily. "Della Lazenby."

I snorted. "Bit of a weird name, ain't it? Lazenby. Ha."

Darry rolled his eyes. "Two-Bit, have you been drinking?"

"No."

"Yeah, right."

"Shut up Soda."

"Hey, you're just jealous because I got-"

"Whoa!" Darry held his hands up to shut Soda up. "Sodapop, shut up right now. OK?"

Ponyboy looked up at Darry as we walked over to the pickup truck and the bikes. "They weren't having a pillow fight last night, were they?"

Steve and I snorted. Ponyboy's really smart, and I guess he was kinda groggy, because he was sure acting stupid right then."

"Well, I don't know about Soda and Della," I drawled lazily, "but Steve and me sure didn't get up to no pillow bashing."

"I wouldn't call it pillow bashing, what Soda and Della got up to," Steve grinned. "More like mattress bouncing."

Soda glared at us. "Shut up, before I kill y'all."

Darry rolled his eyes and started the pickup truck engine. "Look. If y'all want to get to Florida, we have to go now. So are y'all going to quit fighting and come, or stay here and kill each other."

I laughed. "Soda came!"

Next thing I knew, Soda had pushed me off my bike and was knocking the heck out of me.

"Staying here and killing each other it is, then," Darry muttered.


	6. Confrontation and Bunkbeds

**Darry's POV.**

We got to the hotel a lot earlier than I thought we would. Like, by a whole hour. And we couldn't really do anything until we were booked into the hotel – we couldn't even get into Disney. So Soda decided that he might as well go and confront Sandy.

"Are you sure?" I asked him. "I mean… Soda, she might've -"

"Yeah, I know," Soda interrupted shortly. He ran a hand through his hair. "It's just… Darry, if I don't go now, I ain't gonna. Like, ever. And… I need to know. You dig?"

I nodded. "Yeah. You want me to come with you?"

Sodapop shook his head. "I think I'll be OK, thanks. See you later, man."

"Sure," I muttered. "Bye."

"Hey," Steve called to me as Sodapop drove off. "Where's he goin'?"

"Sandy's," I called back. Steve looked as tense as I felt. If Sandy had found someone else, Soda wouldn't be bothered as much as he would've been six months ago, it'd still bother him. And I didn't think Soda could take getting upset anymore. It'd probably push him over the edge.

**Soda's POV.**

Look, I ain't gonna lie and say I was as cool cucumber when I got to Sandy's. Truth is, I was shaking so much, I could barely stand up. Seriously. And I was kind of wishing Darry _had _came with me. I mean, at least he could've caught me if I collapsed or something. I marched up to the door. I mean, Mom always told me to do whatever I had to do first, before collapsing or doing whatever it made me feel like doing. I didn't even have chance to knock on the door before it swung open, and Sandy was standing there, with her back to me.

"Yeah," she yelled to somebody inside the house. "Don't worry, Gran, I'll be at Greg's… I'll be back for dinner! See you later!" And then she turned around. And saw me. Man, she was _huge_! I mean, I know when you're pregnant you look fat and all, but… God, she looked like she'd been living off McDonalds' **(AN: Were Maccy D's around in the 60's?) **or something for the past decade… pregnancy sure does make girls look weird.

"Soda," Sandy gasped as soon as she saw me. "What're you doing here?"

"Um," I said intelligently. "I, uh… I came to – to see how you're doing. And, uh… And to find out why you shagged Buck. Mainly to find out why you shagged Buck. But how are you?"

Sandy looked over her shoulder. "Can we talk outside?"

I shrugged. "Sure. Whatever."

"Soda," Sandy said again, once we were outside, near my bike, with the door to the house safely closed. "I said I was sorry when I told you, didn't I?"

"Yeah, but that don't explain why you shagged him!"

"Soda, please… I so can't do this right now, and -"

"No," I said angrily. "Sandy, you're gonna tell me why you fucked Buck, and I ain't leavin' until you do. 'S up to you."

"Oh, God," Sandy moaned, burying her head in her hands. "Fine. OK. You want to know why I fucked Buck? Easy. He's got money. You haven't. I like guys with money, OK? Call me crazy, but I do."

I glared at her. "Then why'd you go out with me in the first place?"

She shrugged. "Because you were – are – good-looking. And you were always nice to me. But then I met Buck, and he had money and… well, he wanted sex, and he had money. I fuckedhim, and whenever I needed money, he'd give it me. Get the picture?"

I stared at her. "Yeah," I said finally. "Yeah, I get the picture. You're a little slut who doesn't care who she hurts as long as she gets what she wants. You only care about yourself, about what you need, and screw everybody else. And if you really want that kid, if you're really gonna love it, do it a favour and stick it up for adoption. Because it'll be way better off without you." And then I climbed on my bike and drove off as fast as I could.

**Steve's POV.**

By the time we were finally unpacking, Soda had been gone for well over an hour. I guess Sandy's knew place was further away than I'd imagined it to be. And I was really worried about Soda. And I guess Two-Bit was, too, if what he asked me next was anything to go by.

"D'you reckon Soda's OK?"

I sighed and sat down on his bed. "I dunno. But… I don't think he'll do anything stupid, if that's what you're thinking."

Two-Bit collapsed onto his bed, too. "I sure hope not. I mean…"

We looked up as the door burst open and Soda stormed in. He looked at his empty bags on the top bunk bed (oh, yeah. Me and him had bunk beds and Two-Bit got the single bed. See how mature we are?), then at us and grinned. "Y'all unpacked for me?"

"Yeah," Two-Bit replied easily, lighting a cigarette. "We figured you wouldn't be bothered to yourself, so…"

"Aw," Soda laughed, joining us on Two-Bit's bed. "Y'all are so sweet!"

"We know," I grinned. "So, uh…" I gestured around pointlessly for a minute. Anyone else probably would've thought I was having a fit or something, but Soda knew what I meant. He always does. It's part of what makes him so likeable – no matter what you do, he gets you.

"Well," he said, snatching another cigarette off Two-bit and lighting up, "Sandy's a slut. She slept with Buck because he's got money. He wanted sex, she'd give him it, but only on the condition that he'd give her money whenever she needed it."

"That's harsh," Two-Bit said sympathetically.

"Yeah," Soda muttered, taking a long drag on his cigarette.

"So, why didn't she finish with you before she started fucking him?" I demanded angrily.

Soda pulled a face. "Because, apparently, I'm good-looking and I was nice to her. And those are her words, not mine." He looked out of the window. "So, uh… when are we going to Disney?"

"Tomorrow," Two-Bit muttered. "Darry's too tired to let us go. Said something about us getting up to something. But he did say we can do anything we want as long as we don't go to Disney. So we've decided to go down to the pool, find some hot broads, and either pull their bathers down or whip their bikini tops off. You in?"

Soda grinned. "Yeah. I'm in."


	7. First Day at Disney Part 1

**Soda's POV.**

The next day went a whole lot better for me. Starting when Two-Bit woke me up by jumping on Steve's bed (he couldn't reach mine), yelling "Disney! Disney! We're going to go and see _Mickey_!"

"Two-Bit," Steve moaned into his pillow. "Shut up."

"No," I laughed, sitting up. "Don't."

Steve didn't get much of a chance to sleep after that. I was as hyped up as Two-Bit was, and sharing a room with two hyperactive lunatics can't be good for someone trying to get some sleep, so he ended up getting as excited as we were.

"So, what're we going to go on first?" Steve asked the minute we were outside of the hotel. We'd given Darry a call on the hotel room phone and he'd said we could go as long as we met him and Ponyboy at the ticket stand thing at half twelve.

"Splash Mountain," I said immediately. "I've heard it's brilliant…"

We stopped talking as soon as we reached the ticket thing. I guess we were all still kind of sleepy, even though we'd had a pretty good sleep.

"You know," Steve said as we waited for Two-Bit to get checked in or whatever you call it, "this Road Trip is going to be better than any of us thought. I mean, you already got laid, and Evie's going to California with her family for the whole vacation, so…"

"You really like Evie," I said lazily, watching Two-Bit jump up and down as the ticket guy tried to get his ticket off him, "don't you?"

Steve nodded happily. "Yeah… she's amazing, Soda… I mean, I know this sounds lame and all, but… I think I'm in love with her."

"That don't sound lame," I said as the ticket guy finally got Two-Bit's ticket off him. "It sounds… normal. In fact, it's probably the only normal thing you've said in your entire life."

Two-Bit's POV. OK, so maybe I got a little bit carried away with the ticket man. But that didn't mean that Soda and Steve had to tease me about it all day. And it certainly didn't mean that, when I finally picked up a babe, Steve had to come over, put his arm round my shoulders and say, "This is Two-Bit. He's cool enough. But do you know what excites him? Tickets people with tickets. Ticket people with tickets excite him." "Thanks a lot, man," I snapped, throwing his arm off me. "I nearly had her there and all!" "Right," Soda laughed. "_Nearly_ being the operative word there." I glared at them. "Can we go on something high and dangerous next? I want to push y'all out of something like that." Soda grinned and clapped me on the shoulder as he walked past me. "Do us a favour, man," he said happily. "Don't ever change."   



	8. First Day at Disney Part 2

**Darry's POV.**

"Darry," Ponyboy muttered sleepily as he sprinted along beside me. "Why are we running?"

"Because," I told him, "we've got to stop those idiots before they do something stupid like break the Tower Of Terror. **(A/N: Bare with me. I have NO clue what so ever what rides were around then. If I get anything wrong, just ignore them.) **

"I don't think anyone could do that," Ponyboy grinned.

"Those three can do anything," I reminded him.

I guess Ponyboy must've been feeling pretty weird – I mean, to go to bed at quarter to twelve at night, then be (literally) dragged out of bed, made to shove some jeans and a sweater on over his pyjamas, and then made to run out of the hotel and into Disney without anything to eat… well, it can't exactly leave you feeling good, can it?

"Look," I muttered, speeding up as I spotted three lunatics messing around just in front of us. Only three people in the entire world mess around the way they were. "After we get them, we'll go chill somewhere, OK? With them."

"OK," Ponyboy agreed happily.

"Just be as quiet as you possibly can," I muttered.

Ponyboy shut up straight away and I could feel him watching me as I crept up behind Steve before picking him up as high as I could and dropping him. Funnily enough, he screamed like a little girl.

**Two-Bit's POV.**

You know, you think you really know a guy – and then he goes and proves you wrong by screaming like a little girl. Seriously. It breaks my heart. I mean, I always thought Two-Bit or Ponyboy would scream like a girl, but not Steve. Then again, I've never heard Steve actually _scream_ before. I don't think he's ever had reason to before.

"Hey, Darry," I said lazily as Steve picked himself up. "You OK?"

Darry grinned at Steve. "Never better."

"I'll bet," Steve muttered as he crept away from Darry and glared at Ponyboy. I don't get why Steve and Ponyboy hate each other so much. I mean, I don't think even Johnny knew, and he was Ponyboy's best friend. And neither Steve nor Ponyboy would say something bad about the other one to Soda. They don't want him to find out. Even though he already knows they can't stand each other. That's why he always lets – more like makes – Ponyboy hang out with him and Steve. He wants to make them get along better.

"I kinda hoped they'd get along better after Johnny and Dally – y'know," Soda said in an awkward, low voice to me as we followed the others to some café. "Pony and Steve, I mean."

"I know," I muttered as sympathetically as I could. "I don't know why you don't say something to them, Soda."

Soda shrugs. "I don't like fighting. And that's the way it would turn out, Two-Bit, you know it would."

I shook my head. "I'll tell you what. Either you tell them how it's going down by the end of this holiday – or _I _will. Savvy?"

Soda grinned at me. "Sure thing, buddy."

I love the way he says that. He says "thing" as if its spelt "thang" and none of the rest of us can make it sound as cool as he does. But, you know what they say. Life's a bitch and then you die. Or my personal favourite: Life's a bitch and then you marry one. But if any girl would hear me say that, I'd be dead.


	9. The Girls

**(A/N: OK, this is where I bring the girls in. :) So we're going to go away from the lads for a bit. Yah.Oh. But it MIGHT go a bit crap, so... bear with me.)**

Sandy's POV.

Have you got any idea how hard it is to have everyone around you think you're a slut? Let me tell you, it ain't no day at the park. More like a month at the rodeo.

I didn't go to Greg's after I'd spoke to Soda. I just... I knew he'd got the wrong end of the stick when he'd heard I was going to Greg's. And, I don't know, but after Soda drove off on that motorbike, I just collapsed in tears. Well. I managed to drag myself inside and onto the couch before I really collapsed. I mean, I was seven months pregnant. I wasn't in the mood for arguing with Soda. And when Grandma saw me bawling like a baby on the couch, she told me I wasn't in any condition for one, either.

"I still love him, Grandma," I sobbed as she hugged me. "I mean, I didn't ask for this... I want him back..."

Grandma nodded. "Well, sweetheart, you're going to have to do him a favour if you want him back."

I sat up and blew my nose. "Yeah, I know. Let him go, and when he's ready, he'll come back."

Grandma laughed. "Now, where did you get that ridiculous idea?"

I smiled sheepishly. "'Little Bo Peep.'"

Grandma grinned at me. "Ah. Well, Sandra, you're going to have to tell him the truth."

I stared at her. "But he's got a hard enough life as it is."

Grandma shook her head as she stood up. "From everything you've told me about him, I'm sure this won't seem as bad to him as it does to you."

Evie's POV.

I hate Steve. I hate him so, _so_ much. I mean, where does he get off? First of all he has a go at _me_ because my stupid cousin gets herself knocked up by cheating on his best friend and then he gets _me_ knocked up and zooms off with his friends! Without even _telling_ me, FYI.

Of course, when Mom and Dad found out, they sent me to Grandma's. I mean, I wasn't exactly complaining. I'd do anything to get out of that hellhole. And besides, I was just begging for a chance to beat the crap out of Sandy for what she did to Soda.

"It wasn't my fault, Evie," Sandy told me tearfully on my first night there.

"Of course not," I muttered sarcastically, turning on my side so I wouldn't have to look at her. "You're little Miss Perfect, how could you do anything wrong?"

Sandy's voice hardened. "That's not what I mean."

"Then what do you mean?"

"I _mean_ that I _didn't_ cheat on Soda."

I rolled over and stared at her. "_What_?" You told him it ain't his! Hell, Sandy, you told _everybody_ it ain't his!"

"Yeah, because he's already been through enough as it is!" She shook her head. "Evie, I didn't want him to feel like he had to marry me just because he got me up the duff."

I raised an eyebrow at her. "I thought you guys were going to get married anyway."

"Well... yeah. But if I'd told him it was his, he'd have gone off the walls. You know what he's like, Evie. If I'd told him the truth, we'd be married by now."

I looked at her. "But... I saw you with Buck Merril."

She laughed. "Yeah, I was walking his dog, dufus!"

Suddenly it all fitted into place. I mean, I'd seen the way she used to look at him. How many times I'd seen her with Buck Merril. And how she used to avoid Soda before her parents sent her away... because she couldn't face him when she'd told him a lie like that.

Ha. Soda and Steve had no idea what was going to hit them.


	10. Author's Note

**Um, I don't like that last chapter. I think I might try to redo it, because it didn't make sense at all. I mean, Steve says he loves Evie, but she says that he left without telling her. So… yeah. I'm going to try and redo that, but I don't know when, so just bare with me. Oh, and when Soda says that they'll "go to Canada just for the heck of it"… they don't go to Canada. No. They go to California.**

**Starts singing**


End file.
